More Tools: The Power of Extensions

As you know, Visual Micro is no independent program, but an
extension
to Atmel Studio and Visual Studio.

Visual Micro and Atmel Studio are extensible with so-called add-ins and
extensions (Visual Studio 2017 and newer only supports extensions, no Add-ins).

Both IDE offer a large choice of Add-Ins and
extensions, written by Microsoft, Atmel and independent authors.

Note:

"Add-Ins" and "Extensions" are two different
technologies for extending the IDEs. From a user's perspective, there is
no difference.
Therefore, we refer to both as "extensions" from now on. Beginning with
Visual Studio 2015, add-ins are not supported anymore. The current
version of Visual Micro was rewritten as an extension. Therefore, it is
fully compatible with Visual Studio 2015, but also with older versions
of Visual Studio.

You can browse these catalogs either from the IDE or on the Web.
Using the web variants is recommended, because they offer more information and
search capabilities.

In Visual Studio:

Inside the IDE: Click on Tools > Extensions and Updates. The Extension
Manager opens. Click on "Online" to see a list of available extensions

A Few General Words about Extensions

You can use the search function to find extensions that fit
your needs

You can deinstall or deactivate unwanted extensions using
the Extension Manager from the menu of your IDE, see above

Before installing an extension, make sure that the tool you
have chosen matches your version of the IDE. Most popular add-Ins and extensions
are offered for multiple IDE versions.
Visual Studio Gallery also lets you filter the list by IDE version. To see these
filter options, click on the magnifier symbol next to the search field.

After installing an extension, go to Tools > Options
and navigate to the section regarding your extension. The tool's
option dialog is a good start to learn about its capabilities and lets you play
around with options to customize the tool to fit your needs. Most
extensions offer multiple enhancement to the IDE, and if you don't like all
of them, simply switch off what you don't want using the Tools > Options
settings

Note that not all extensions are free. But there is a large
number of excellent and free tools to choose from

Do not leave extensions installed in your IDE if you don't
use them. These tools may slow down your IDE and clutter menus and toolbars
with commands you don't need.
Only leave those tools in your IDE that you really use.
Remember that you can deinstall unwanted add-Ins and extensions using your
IDEs Extension Manager.

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